TEAM ROMANCE: Graveyard Shift, "30 Nights of Day"
Title: 30 Nights of Day
Author: pollitt ( interview)
Team: Romance
Prompt: Graveyard shift
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard (very vague Zelenka/OFC)
Rating: PG
Warnings: I've flagrantly disregarded the laws of planetary motion. And referenced Broadway. All within a couple of paragraphs.
Summary: They've finally seen the light.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
30 Nights of Day
The trade negotiations on M7R-439 were in their fifth day--'Grain Crops for Vaccines' according the agenda Rodney had punched into his data pad--when Elizabeth called John and his team back to Atlantis.
"There's something you need to see." Was all that Elizabeth would say, her voice distracted and more than a little confused.
A look of trepidation passed between the four of them--John, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla--ideas of what the "thing" they needed to see passing through their minds in not-so-glorious Technicolor.
"Replicators?" Rodney suggested, his face contorting as if he'd just swallowed curdled milk.
"Elizabeth would've been more freaked," John answered, clipping his P90 to his jacket. "Genii up to their old tricks?"
"Weir'd be more pissed," Ronon said, sliding a third knife into his hair. "Wraith?"
The three men looked over at Teyla, who was calmly waiting for them, hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised.
"Right, so… back to Atlantis?" John said finally.
It was decided that Teyla would make their excuses, and less than an hour later, P90s held at ready, they stepped through the gate --
Into a brightly lit (sunlit) gate room.
John looked first at his watch and then at Elizabeth, who was waiting for them, Radek and Dr. Lang flanking her.
Rodney did a full 360-degree turn, his mouth slightly agape, his P90 flagging.
Ronon and Teyla lowered their weapons and exchanged a glance that said "what?"
"Isn't it supposed to be--" Rodney began.
"Dark out. It is night, isn't it?" John finished.
"Astute observation gentlemen," Elizabeth said.
"Thanks, we try." John lowered his P90. "What's going on?"
"Why is it still light outside?"
"I think, perhaps, that we should go to the meeting room," Radek suggested, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
_______________
"A month of daylight?" Rodney's asked, the tone of his voice somewhere between disbelief and shock. "Just like that? How did we not know about this? The days didn't seem to be getting longer before we left. Not more than usual at least."
"That's the thing, Dr. McKay, they weren't," Dr. Lang answered, calling up the schematics onto the monitor. "From what we can gather from information found in the database, every decade or so the planet is aligned with the sun in such a way that creates this near-spontaneous month long daylight. And as far as I can tell, the month will end the same way, no gradual hours of night sky returning the planet back to its normal cycle. We'll just see a sunset and bam--" Lang clapped her hands loudly. "We'll be back to regular days and nights."
"And this just happens every ten years?" Rodney asked. "Poof, suddenly the sun's not setting?"
"Yes, much like Brigadoon. Only without the dancing, one would hope," Radek commented, flashing a smile at Dr. Lang.
"Wait, what?" Rodney asked, his forehead creasing, looking in Radek's direction.
"Brigadoon, Scottish village that appears once every hundred years? Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse?" Faced with blank stares from half of the room, and an impatient throat clearing from Elizabeth, Radek sighed dramatically. "Hopeless."
"Excuse me, Elizabeth," Teyla said, and all eyes turned to her. "I am to assume, based on your reactions, that you do not have something like this on Earth?"
"You knew about this?" John asked.
"The intervals on Athos did not span such a long gap, occurring every four years, but, yes, the month of light is something most worlds of this galaxy are familiar with."
"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Rodney asked, looking from Teyla to Ronon.
"I didn't realize... I assumed you would have something similar."
"Lands at the poles of our planet do experience something like this," Dr. Lang explained, hastily scribbling notes on her data pad. "But it's an annual event, and it's gradual."
"It kinda eases us into the whole sun zombies thing," John explained.
"You said that most worlds are familiar with this phenomenon, is there anything we should anticipate during this time?" Lang asked.
"Like killer plants or a jump in skin cancer rates," Rodney quipped, jerking in his seat when John kicked him under the table.
"Environmentally, I am not aware of anything." Teyla looked at Ronon, who shook his head. "Many Athosians take this opportunity to embark on a relationship, or begin a family. The sunlight inspires such optimism and safety."
"This was prime baby making time on Sateda, too," Ronon added with a wistful, feral, grin.
"Oh great, like the colonel needs any more reasons to have women throw themselves at him."
"What about 439?" John asked, ignoring Rodney's comment. "We kind of left in the middle of the negotiations because we thought Atlantis was under siege by mutant kelp or something equally bizarre."
"You've been sneaking ahead and watching Doctor Who without me, haven't you?" Rodney accused, aiming a critical eye in John's direction.
"Not here, McKay," John whispered through clenched teeth.
"Fine," Rodney shot back.
"Gentlemen." Elizabeth's voice silenced the room. "Teyla? What would you recommend we do?"
"The Barutians have always been fair in their negotiations, I believe we should agree to their terms."
"John?"
"They seemed cool, their food was pretty good, and it's always good to have another ally."
"Excellent. Let's call and give them the good news, and while we're doing that, I'd like you--"Elizabeth pointed at John, Rodney, Radek and Dr. Lang, "to start reassuring Atlantis that this isn't something to worry about and then we can get back to our daily lives."
_______________
For the first couple of days, Atlantis is bursting with constant energy. The piers and balconies are occupied round the clock by people sunbathing (at 3 a.m.), exercising, or just lazing about. The gym and labs, too, are filled with bright-eyed soldiers and scientists eager to take advantage of the extra daylight.
It becomes apparent rather quickly that schedules are needed. The 28 hours of sunlight throwing a wrench in the collective biorhythms of the expedition--and the resulting lack of sleep and subsequent irritable moods leads to an emergency meeting of the department heads.
"Miko almost took off Kwame's head this morning because he was using the sensor she wanted. Five-foot tall Miko had Kwame, who's double her size, cowering in a corner," Rodney said, pulling up a spreadsheet onto the main monitor. "I ran a couple of simulations based on sleep cycles, work habits and population distribution throughout the city, and I've come up with some tentative schedules that should make everyone happy, or at least less irritable, while still utilizing all 28 hours for productivity."
"Did anyone follow that last part?" John asked, looking around the room--Elizabeth and Teyla nodded while Carson shook his head and Ronon looked bored.
"To put it simply, Colonel, I compiled a list of who should be working at what time, based on when they do their best work."
"You didn't schedule yourself for all 28 hours, did you?"
"Why on earth would I? Oh, right, with the kidding." Rodney looked over at John, who had a smirk firmly planted on his face. "I've scheduled myself for overnight. Or what would be the overnight portion if we had any night."
"I've asked Rodney to print out the schedules for each of you to review and talk to your staff about. If possible, I'd like to begin rolling this out right away. Any questions?"
When none were raised, she added. "Good. I'll leave you to it then."
"I should've known you'd be a graveyard shift kind of guy, McKay," John said as they filed out of the room.
"Why's that?"
"Burning the midnight oil, working through the night, isn't that what you geniuses do?"
"I suppose--"
"Plus, you're not exactly known for being an early riser."
"Just because I don't wake up at the crack of dawn to run around the bowels of the city with you and Ronon?" Rodney asked.
"You don't know what you're missing," John said, waggling his eyebrows.
"Call me crazy, but I'll take a full night's sleep over muscle cramps any day."
"If you're cramping then you're doing it wrong." John looked over at Rodney, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip. "I could show you how to do it."
Rodney paused in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide.
Smirking, John grabbed a schedule from Rodney's hand and asked nonchalantly, "What'd you pick for me?"
"I, I thought I'd let you choose your own schedule," Rodney answered, giving John one more assessing look.
"What, and let you run around by yourself? Forget it, McKay. If you're pulling the graveyard shift, so am I."
_______________
By the end of the first week, everyone had acclimated themselves to the new schedules and fallen into new routines.
John would stop at Rodney's door and together they would make their way to the mess hall and then Rodney would retreat to his labs and John would work on reports or train with Teyla or Ronon, if they were around, until he'd find his way to Rodney's lab. Or Rodney would find himself down in the gym, watching John as he trained.
As predicted, romance did seem to be in the air. Couples begin to come out of the woodwork almost immediately, beginning with Radek and Dr. Lang.
"I should've seen it coming. Radek would get starry-eyed every time Lang was within 20 feet of him," Rodney said as John leaned his hip against the lab table.
"Good job Radek." John picked up a disassembled life signs detector from the table next to him.
"Good job? If he's mooning over-- Don't touch that." Rodney grabbed the detector from John's hand.
"I thought these new schedules were designed to make people less cranky." John pushed himself off of the table and cupped his hand over Rodney's shoulder. "C'mon, Rodney, let's go grab some breakfast food before the early birds get the good stuff. And if you're lucky, maybe we can kick back and watch a movie."
"After you, Colonel." Rodney smiled and followed John out of the lab.
The eggs were hot and freshly scrambled, the bacon perfectly crispy and the coffee freshly brewed when they arrived in the mess.
"Oh my God, who knew the food was this good?" Rodney said blissfully.
"That's what you get for getting here this early--the fresh stuff."
"I had no idea."
"I tried to tell you, you just didn't listen." John used his best put upon expression, going so far as to suggest the beginnings of a pout.
"When you preempt it with 'gee Rodney, why don't you run until your lungs burn' I tend to tune out the rest of it." Rodney wadded up his extra napkin and threw it in John's direction, missing him by a good couple of inches and hitting the back of Dr. Moreau's chair. Taking a drink from his coffee cup, Rodney looked around at the people filing into the mess. "How can they look so awake at this hour? And presumably without coffee? it's not natural."
"You're awake, Rodney," John commented.
"I haven't been to sleep yet!"
"Details, details."
"Keep this up, Colonel and there will be no movie watching."
"Awww Rodney, you're no fun." This time, John did pout.
_______________
Now that Rodney had experienced the gourmet that was early morning breakfast in Atlantis, he made sure that he and John were among the first in line in the mess. If John hadn't shown up in the labs by five, Rodney would seek him out, more than once summoning him away from a meeting to keep their breakfast date.
"Sheppard, can I ask you a personal question?" Rodney asked in between bites of pancake.
John set his coffee cup down on the table, his face growing suddenly very serious. "On one condition."
Rodney looked nervous, but he'd started the conversation, so he couldn't back out now. "Yes?"
"Call me John."
"John?" Rodney couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.
"We've been friends for three years, and I don't think you've ever called me that."
"Oh. Wow. Really?"
"Really. I think it's about time, don't you?"
"Yes. Yes, it is, John." Rodney gaze swept over John's face, shifting to look around the room, which was starting to fill up. He picked up his napkin and began to tear it.
"Your question, McKay?" John asked when Rodney didn't continue.
"Yes, right." Rodney looked down at his hands, at the pile of shredded paper that he'd created on his plate, as if he'd just realized what he'd done. Covering the paper mound with another napkin, he took a deep breath and met John's eyes. "You watched Doctor Who without me, didn't you?"
Leaning back in his chair, his arm slung over the back of the empty seat beside him, John asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "That's your personal question?"
"Well it's your private viewing habits that we're talking about, so, yes, it's a personal question." Rodney's shoulders straightened, one side of his mouth tugging downward in a classic defensive posture. "How many? How far ahead are you?"
"You've been thinking about this since the day we came back from Barut, haven't you?"
"Oh god, you're onto the next Doctor, aren't you? I knew I shouldn't have left them with you."
"You've seen them all!"
"I don't care, we were watching them together. You did it, didn't you? You cheated."
"Christ, Rodney. I'm sorry. Okay?" John held up his hands in defeat. "I'm only a disc ahead. Honest. And I meant to tell you."
"You're just going to have to watch them over again, John."
Rodney looked down at his plate and missed the flush that flashed across John's face.
"So, can I make it up to you after breakfast? I know a guy who knows a guy who said the kitchen made up a batch of blue Jell-o for lunch and that he could hook me up with some. Blue Jell-o, Doctor Who, Daleks..."
"I could be convinced." Rodney smiled, paused as if weighing a decision, and then added. "It may also require chocolate."
John met Rodney's smile with one of his own and he bounced on the balls of his feet as he stood up. "Great. It's a date."
oo--oo--oo--oo
The month had just passed the halfway mark when it happened. A soft haze filtered the light of the sun as they stood on the balcony just outside the gate room and stared out at the horizon.
"We've been here almost three years and I don't think I've ever taken the time to really look at how beautiful this place is," Rodney said with a note of awe in his voice. He turned around, leaning his elbows back against the railing. "Although I do have to admit, I really miss seeing sunsets. Not that I actually watched them before. But when we actually get one again, we have to watch it."
Realizing what he'd just said, or implied, Rodney's cheeks flushed, his ears pinkening at their curves.
"I'd like that." John smiled.
"You... Yeah?" Rodney's eyes widened as the words sunk in, and then he smiled. "Cool."
John couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up, and popped with an exhaled breath. He moved so that he was standing in front of Rodney, his hands curled around the railing, his arms bracketing Rodney's chest. "You've got a way with words there, Rodney."
John leaned in, watching as Rodney leaned forward, his eyes fluttered closed...
Only to pop open again, his head pulling back, his eyes wide open. "You don't think? Is this because of the sun? You know, what Teyla said?"
"You mean the sun-induced horniness?"
Rodney nodded, letting his hands rest on John's hips. "Everyone seems to be doing it. Maybe it was only time before we, you know."
John raised an eyebrow. "There's a simple way to figure it out."
He leaned forward, smiling when Rodney didn't pull away, and whispered against Rodney's ear. "Did you think about this before?"
"What? Wanting you?" Rodney asked, turning his head as John pulled back to look at him.
John tightened his hold in the railing and nodded.
"Of course I did. Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Rodney rolled his eyes as if the question were too simple to be answered. He looked down at his hands, still holding John's hips, and then returned his gaze to John's face. "You?"
John released his grip on the railing and curled his hands around Rodney's biceps, he squeezed and then answered. "Have you been paying any attention since the day we got here? Of course I have, McKay."
"Oh." There was a whole world of weight in that one word, and John watched as all of the implications fell into place. Never one for bluffing, the emotions played out across Rodney's face, and when the awed happiness crept across his lips, John followed. Rodney met him halfway, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
"Not that I'm not all in favor of this," Rodney said a little dazedly when they finally pull apart. "But taking this to somewhere a little more private and preferably without a bar pressing against my spine would be wonderful.
"Your place or mine?" John asked taking a step back and letting his hands slide off of Rodney's arms.
The sunlight bounced off of the walls of John's room as they stumbled in, still kissing, John walking backward, his hands clutching at Rodney's shirt, lifting the hem to get at warm skin.
"God, have wanted you. Want this," John said as they broke apart, tugging Rodney's shirt over his head.
"Why didn't we do this before?"
"It took us a while to see the light," John said as he pulled his shirt up over his head.
Rodney groaned and pushed John--who was momentarily caught up in the neckline of his shirt--back onto the bed.
"You're lucky I really like you, John." Rodney pulled John's shirt the rest of the way off and followed him back onto the bed.
_______________
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, very little changed in their routine.
They would start their day by eating together in the mess before heading to their respective offices. John still found himself popping into Rodney's lab to hang out or wind him up, or to remind him when it was time to head for breakfast. Rodney continued to find John procrastinating on finishing his reports by playing Nerf Basketball or constructing the perfect paper airplane. Their topic of conversations remained scattershot at best, from the latest couple spied in some corner of a stairwell or pier to the merits of Julie Newmar as Catwoman to what scheme the Wraith might have up their sleeves next. And once a week, they'd meet up with Ronon and Teyla in one of the common rooms and watch movies from Earth.
But now John woke up next to Rodney more times than he didn't. And that's a change he celebrated every day.
"You do realize we were dating long before we started sleeping together, right?" John asked, rubbing his stubbled cheek against Rodney's shoulder.
"And to think, we missed out on all those anniversary presents," Rodney mused, reaching back and curling his hand around John's thigh.
"Well, the third anniversary is leather. I'll have to see if Ronon has any to spare."
Rodney turned his head, looking back at John with a bemused expression. "If you say that was on the Mensa test, I'm kicking you out right now."
John laughed and lightly bit the curve of Rodney's neck.
_______________
True to Dr. Lang's word, one evening at the end of the month, the sun began to sink in the sky.
Word spread throughout Atlantis by every means of communication, and when Elizabeth's voice called them on the radio, both men were awake, dressed and on their way to the gate room balcony in ten minutes time.
Nearly every member of the expedition was out to watch the sunset, and John and Rodney joined Elizabeth, Radek, Dr. Lang, Carson, Ronon and Teyla who were already watching the show.
The sun blazed a blood red, bleeding the last rays of sunlight across the dimming sky, the colors fading from orange to red to purple, blue and black. From the balcony, John and Rodney watched the sunset, their forearms resting against the railing, their hands, the backs of their fingers, brushing against one another lazily.
"I knew I missed these," Rodney said, watching the last tendrils of light sink beneath the horizon.
Casting a quick glance around, John leaned in and whispered, "We'll watch the next one alone. Just the two of us."
Rodney's breath caught for a moment and he ducked his head, John could see him smile a moment before he nodded.
"I don't know about you all, but after a month like this, I think everyone could use some downtime. Why don't we all take the night off," Elizabeth suggested.
For once, John and Rodney didn't need to be told twice.
Stripped down to their boxers, they crawled into the bed they had vacated just over an hour before, arranging their limbs in a position that was becoming familiar, as natural as breathing--curled on their sides, knees stacked, Rodney's nose pressed against the knob at the back of John's neck
"So if every decade there's a month of daylight, wouldn't it make sense that there's a month of night as well?" Rodney mused, tracing the two circular scars on John's shoulder blade.
"That would make sense," John replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"If thirty days of sun makes people horny, I wonder what thirty days of night makes them."
John turned and faced Rodney in the darkness. "Vampires."
"You've been holding out on me," Rodney said, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a smile. He fingers slid down John's side, raising goose bumps over the bare skin.
"Not anymore." John's smile flashed in the moonlight.
"When the sun comes back up, I will so be looking for your comic book stash," Rodney vowed, kissing the side of John's neck. "After breakfast."
"So does that mean you'll start running with me and Ronon?" John raised his chin, offering more skin for kissing.
"Don't push your luck."
"I don't know, McKay. I've been feeling pretty lucky lately."
Rodney pressed his forehead against John's shoulder and smiled.
"Me too."
**
THIS POLL IS NOW CLOSED. ANY FURTHER VOTES WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Poll Vote for this story
Author: pollitt ( interview)
Team: Romance
Prompt: Graveyard shift
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard (very vague Zelenka/OFC)
Rating: PG
Warnings: I've flagrantly disregarded the laws of planetary motion. And referenced Broadway. All within a couple of paragraphs.
Summary: They've finally seen the light.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
30 Nights of Day
The trade negotiations on M7R-439 were in their fifth day--'Grain Crops for Vaccines' according the agenda Rodney had punched into his data pad--when Elizabeth called John and his team back to Atlantis.
"There's something you need to see." Was all that Elizabeth would say, her voice distracted and more than a little confused.
A look of trepidation passed between the four of them--John, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla--ideas of what the "thing" they needed to see passing through their minds in not-so-glorious Technicolor.
"Replicators?" Rodney suggested, his face contorting as if he'd just swallowed curdled milk.
"Elizabeth would've been more freaked," John answered, clipping his P90 to his jacket. "Genii up to their old tricks?"
"Weir'd be more pissed," Ronon said, sliding a third knife into his hair. "Wraith?"
The three men looked over at Teyla, who was calmly waiting for them, hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised.
"Right, so… back to Atlantis?" John said finally.
It was decided that Teyla would make their excuses, and less than an hour later, P90s held at ready, they stepped through the gate --
Into a brightly lit (sunlit) gate room.
John looked first at his watch and then at Elizabeth, who was waiting for them, Radek and Dr. Lang flanking her.
Rodney did a full 360-degree turn, his mouth slightly agape, his P90 flagging.
Ronon and Teyla lowered their weapons and exchanged a glance that said "what?"
"Isn't it supposed to be--" Rodney began.
"Dark out. It is night, isn't it?" John finished.
"Astute observation gentlemen," Elizabeth said.
"Thanks, we try." John lowered his P90. "What's going on?"
"Why is it still light outside?"
"I think, perhaps, that we should go to the meeting room," Radek suggested, pushing his glasses back up his nose.
_______________
"A month of daylight?" Rodney's asked, the tone of his voice somewhere between disbelief and shock. "Just like that? How did we not know about this? The days didn't seem to be getting longer before we left. Not more than usual at least."
"That's the thing, Dr. McKay, they weren't," Dr. Lang answered, calling up the schematics onto the monitor. "From what we can gather from information found in the database, every decade or so the planet is aligned with the sun in such a way that creates this near-spontaneous month long daylight. And as far as I can tell, the month will end the same way, no gradual hours of night sky returning the planet back to its normal cycle. We'll just see a sunset and bam--" Lang clapped her hands loudly. "We'll be back to regular days and nights."
"And this just happens every ten years?" Rodney asked. "Poof, suddenly the sun's not setting?"
"Yes, much like Brigadoon. Only without the dancing, one would hope," Radek commented, flashing a smile at Dr. Lang.
"Wait, what?" Rodney asked, his forehead creasing, looking in Radek's direction.
"Brigadoon, Scottish village that appears once every hundred years? Gene Kelly, Cyd Charisse?" Faced with blank stares from half of the room, and an impatient throat clearing from Elizabeth, Radek sighed dramatically. "Hopeless."
"Excuse me, Elizabeth," Teyla said, and all eyes turned to her. "I am to assume, based on your reactions, that you do not have something like this on Earth?"
"You knew about this?" John asked.
"The intervals on Athos did not span such a long gap, occurring every four years, but, yes, the month of light is something most worlds of this galaxy are familiar with."
"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Rodney asked, looking from Teyla to Ronon.
"I didn't realize... I assumed you would have something similar."
"Lands at the poles of our planet do experience something like this," Dr. Lang explained, hastily scribbling notes on her data pad. "But it's an annual event, and it's gradual."
"It kinda eases us into the whole sun zombies thing," John explained.
"You said that most worlds are familiar with this phenomenon, is there anything we should anticipate during this time?" Lang asked.
"Like killer plants or a jump in skin cancer rates," Rodney quipped, jerking in his seat when John kicked him under the table.
"Environmentally, I am not aware of anything." Teyla looked at Ronon, who shook his head. "Many Athosians take this opportunity to embark on a relationship, or begin a family. The sunlight inspires such optimism and safety."
"This was prime baby making time on Sateda, too," Ronon added with a wistful, feral, grin.
"Oh great, like the colonel needs any more reasons to have women throw themselves at him."
"What about 439?" John asked, ignoring Rodney's comment. "We kind of left in the middle of the negotiations because we thought Atlantis was under siege by mutant kelp or something equally bizarre."
"You've been sneaking ahead and watching Doctor Who without me, haven't you?" Rodney accused, aiming a critical eye in John's direction.
"Not here, McKay," John whispered through clenched teeth.
"Fine," Rodney shot back.
"Gentlemen." Elizabeth's voice silenced the room. "Teyla? What would you recommend we do?"
"The Barutians have always been fair in their negotiations, I believe we should agree to their terms."
"John?"
"They seemed cool, their food was pretty good, and it's always good to have another ally."
"Excellent. Let's call and give them the good news, and while we're doing that, I'd like you--"Elizabeth pointed at John, Rodney, Radek and Dr. Lang, "to start reassuring Atlantis that this isn't something to worry about and then we can get back to our daily lives."
_______________
For the first couple of days, Atlantis is bursting with constant energy. The piers and balconies are occupied round the clock by people sunbathing (at 3 a.m.), exercising, or just lazing about. The gym and labs, too, are filled with bright-eyed soldiers and scientists eager to take advantage of the extra daylight.
It becomes apparent rather quickly that schedules are needed. The 28 hours of sunlight throwing a wrench in the collective biorhythms of the expedition--and the resulting lack of sleep and subsequent irritable moods leads to an emergency meeting of the department heads.
"Miko almost took off Kwame's head this morning because he was using the sensor she wanted. Five-foot tall Miko had Kwame, who's double her size, cowering in a corner," Rodney said, pulling up a spreadsheet onto the main monitor. "I ran a couple of simulations based on sleep cycles, work habits and population distribution throughout the city, and I've come up with some tentative schedules that should make everyone happy, or at least less irritable, while still utilizing all 28 hours for productivity."
"Did anyone follow that last part?" John asked, looking around the room--Elizabeth and Teyla nodded while Carson shook his head and Ronon looked bored.
"To put it simply, Colonel, I compiled a list of who should be working at what time, based on when they do their best work."
"You didn't schedule yourself for all 28 hours, did you?"
"Why on earth would I? Oh, right, with the kidding." Rodney looked over at John, who had a smirk firmly planted on his face. "I've scheduled myself for overnight. Or what would be the overnight portion if we had any night."
"I've asked Rodney to print out the schedules for each of you to review and talk to your staff about. If possible, I'd like to begin rolling this out right away. Any questions?"
When none were raised, she added. "Good. I'll leave you to it then."
"I should've known you'd be a graveyard shift kind of guy, McKay," John said as they filed out of the room.
"Why's that?"
"Burning the midnight oil, working through the night, isn't that what you geniuses do?"
"I suppose--"
"Plus, you're not exactly known for being an early riser."
"Just because I don't wake up at the crack of dawn to run around the bowels of the city with you and Ronon?" Rodney asked.
"You don't know what you're missing," John said, waggling his eyebrows.
"Call me crazy, but I'll take a full night's sleep over muscle cramps any day."
"If you're cramping then you're doing it wrong." John looked over at Rodney, his tongue swiping over his bottom lip. "I could show you how to do it."
Rodney paused in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide.
Smirking, John grabbed a schedule from Rodney's hand and asked nonchalantly, "What'd you pick for me?"
"I, I thought I'd let you choose your own schedule," Rodney answered, giving John one more assessing look.
"What, and let you run around by yourself? Forget it, McKay. If you're pulling the graveyard shift, so am I."
_______________
By the end of the first week, everyone had acclimated themselves to the new schedules and fallen into new routines.
John would stop at Rodney's door and together they would make their way to the mess hall and then Rodney would retreat to his labs and John would work on reports or train with Teyla or Ronon, if they were around, until he'd find his way to Rodney's lab. Or Rodney would find himself down in the gym, watching John as he trained.
As predicted, romance did seem to be in the air. Couples begin to come out of the woodwork almost immediately, beginning with Radek and Dr. Lang.
"I should've seen it coming. Radek would get starry-eyed every time Lang was within 20 feet of him," Rodney said as John leaned his hip against the lab table.
"Good job Radek." John picked up a disassembled life signs detector from the table next to him.
"Good job? If he's mooning over-- Don't touch that." Rodney grabbed the detector from John's hand.
"I thought these new schedules were designed to make people less cranky." John pushed himself off of the table and cupped his hand over Rodney's shoulder. "C'mon, Rodney, let's go grab some breakfast food before the early birds get the good stuff. And if you're lucky, maybe we can kick back and watch a movie."
"After you, Colonel." Rodney smiled and followed John out of the lab.
The eggs were hot and freshly scrambled, the bacon perfectly crispy and the coffee freshly brewed when they arrived in the mess.
"Oh my God, who knew the food was this good?" Rodney said blissfully.
"That's what you get for getting here this early--the fresh stuff."
"I had no idea."
"I tried to tell you, you just didn't listen." John used his best put upon expression, going so far as to suggest the beginnings of a pout.
"When you preempt it with 'gee Rodney, why don't you run until your lungs burn' I tend to tune out the rest of it." Rodney wadded up his extra napkin and threw it in John's direction, missing him by a good couple of inches and hitting the back of Dr. Moreau's chair. Taking a drink from his coffee cup, Rodney looked around at the people filing into the mess. "How can they look so awake at this hour? And presumably without coffee? it's not natural."
"You're awake, Rodney," John commented.
"I haven't been to sleep yet!"
"Details, details."
"Keep this up, Colonel and there will be no movie watching."
"Awww Rodney, you're no fun." This time, John did pout.
_______________
Now that Rodney had experienced the gourmet that was early morning breakfast in Atlantis, he made sure that he and John were among the first in line in the mess. If John hadn't shown up in the labs by five, Rodney would seek him out, more than once summoning him away from a meeting to keep their breakfast date.
"Sheppard, can I ask you a personal question?" Rodney asked in between bites of pancake.
John set his coffee cup down on the table, his face growing suddenly very serious. "On one condition."
Rodney looked nervous, but he'd started the conversation, so he couldn't back out now. "Yes?"
"Call me John."
"John?" Rodney couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice.
"We've been friends for three years, and I don't think you've ever called me that."
"Oh. Wow. Really?"
"Really. I think it's about time, don't you?"
"Yes. Yes, it is, John." Rodney gaze swept over John's face, shifting to look around the room, which was starting to fill up. He picked up his napkin and began to tear it.
"Your question, McKay?" John asked when Rodney didn't continue.
"Yes, right." Rodney looked down at his hands, at the pile of shredded paper that he'd created on his plate, as if he'd just realized what he'd done. Covering the paper mound with another napkin, he took a deep breath and met John's eyes. "You watched Doctor Who without me, didn't you?"
Leaning back in his chair, his arm slung over the back of the empty seat beside him, John asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "That's your personal question?"
"Well it's your private viewing habits that we're talking about, so, yes, it's a personal question." Rodney's shoulders straightened, one side of his mouth tugging downward in a classic defensive posture. "How many? How far ahead are you?"
"You've been thinking about this since the day we came back from Barut, haven't you?"
"Oh god, you're onto the next Doctor, aren't you? I knew I shouldn't have left them with you."
"You've seen them all!"
"I don't care, we were watching them together. You did it, didn't you? You cheated."
"Christ, Rodney. I'm sorry. Okay?" John held up his hands in defeat. "I'm only a disc ahead. Honest. And I meant to tell you."
"You're just going to have to watch them over again, John."
Rodney looked down at his plate and missed the flush that flashed across John's face.
"So, can I make it up to you after breakfast? I know a guy who knows a guy who said the kitchen made up a batch of blue Jell-o for lunch and that he could hook me up with some. Blue Jell-o, Doctor Who, Daleks..."
"I could be convinced." Rodney smiled, paused as if weighing a decision, and then added. "It may also require chocolate."
John met Rodney's smile with one of his own and he bounced on the balls of his feet as he stood up. "Great. It's a date."
oo--oo--oo--oo
The month had just passed the halfway mark when it happened. A soft haze filtered the light of the sun as they stood on the balcony just outside the gate room and stared out at the horizon.
"We've been here almost three years and I don't think I've ever taken the time to really look at how beautiful this place is," Rodney said with a note of awe in his voice. He turned around, leaning his elbows back against the railing. "Although I do have to admit, I really miss seeing sunsets. Not that I actually watched them before. But when we actually get one again, we have to watch it."
Realizing what he'd just said, or implied, Rodney's cheeks flushed, his ears pinkening at their curves.
"I'd like that." John smiled.
"You... Yeah?" Rodney's eyes widened as the words sunk in, and then he smiled. "Cool."
John couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up, and popped with an exhaled breath. He moved so that he was standing in front of Rodney, his hands curled around the railing, his arms bracketing Rodney's chest. "You've got a way with words there, Rodney."
John leaned in, watching as Rodney leaned forward, his eyes fluttered closed...
Only to pop open again, his head pulling back, his eyes wide open. "You don't think? Is this because of the sun? You know, what Teyla said?"
"You mean the sun-induced horniness?"
Rodney nodded, letting his hands rest on John's hips. "Everyone seems to be doing it. Maybe it was only time before we, you know."
John raised an eyebrow. "There's a simple way to figure it out."
He leaned forward, smiling when Rodney didn't pull away, and whispered against Rodney's ear. "Did you think about this before?"
"What? Wanting you?" Rodney asked, turning his head as John pulled back to look at him.
John tightened his hold in the railing and nodded.
"Of course I did. Have you looked in a mirror lately?" Rodney rolled his eyes as if the question were too simple to be answered. He looked down at his hands, still holding John's hips, and then returned his gaze to John's face. "You?"
John released his grip on the railing and curled his hands around Rodney's biceps, he squeezed and then answered. "Have you been paying any attention since the day we got here? Of course I have, McKay."
"Oh." There was a whole world of weight in that one word, and John watched as all of the implications fell into place. Never one for bluffing, the emotions played out across Rodney's face, and when the awed happiness crept across his lips, John followed. Rodney met him halfway, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
"Not that I'm not all in favor of this," Rodney said a little dazedly when they finally pull apart. "But taking this to somewhere a little more private and preferably without a bar pressing against my spine would be wonderful.
"Your place or mine?" John asked taking a step back and letting his hands slide off of Rodney's arms.
The sunlight bounced off of the walls of John's room as they stumbled in, still kissing, John walking backward, his hands clutching at Rodney's shirt, lifting the hem to get at warm skin.
"God, have wanted you. Want this," John said as they broke apart, tugging Rodney's shirt over his head.
"Why didn't we do this before?"
"It took us a while to see the light," John said as he pulled his shirt up over his head.
Rodney groaned and pushed John--who was momentarily caught up in the neckline of his shirt--back onto the bed.
"You're lucky I really like you, John." Rodney pulled John's shirt the rest of the way off and followed him back onto the bed.
_______________
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, very little changed in their routine.
They would start their day by eating together in the mess before heading to their respective offices. John still found himself popping into Rodney's lab to hang out or wind him up, or to remind him when it was time to head for breakfast. Rodney continued to find John procrastinating on finishing his reports by playing Nerf Basketball or constructing the perfect paper airplane. Their topic of conversations remained scattershot at best, from the latest couple spied in some corner of a stairwell or pier to the merits of Julie Newmar as Catwoman to what scheme the Wraith might have up their sleeves next. And once a week, they'd meet up with Ronon and Teyla in one of the common rooms and watch movies from Earth.
But now John woke up next to Rodney more times than he didn't. And that's a change he celebrated every day.
"You do realize we were dating long before we started sleeping together, right?" John asked, rubbing his stubbled cheek against Rodney's shoulder.
"And to think, we missed out on all those anniversary presents," Rodney mused, reaching back and curling his hand around John's thigh.
"Well, the third anniversary is leather. I'll have to see if Ronon has any to spare."
Rodney turned his head, looking back at John with a bemused expression. "If you say that was on the Mensa test, I'm kicking you out right now."
John laughed and lightly bit the curve of Rodney's neck.
_______________
True to Dr. Lang's word, one evening at the end of the month, the sun began to sink in the sky.
Word spread throughout Atlantis by every means of communication, and when Elizabeth's voice called them on the radio, both men were awake, dressed and on their way to the gate room balcony in ten minutes time.
Nearly every member of the expedition was out to watch the sunset, and John and Rodney joined Elizabeth, Radek, Dr. Lang, Carson, Ronon and Teyla who were already watching the show.
The sun blazed a blood red, bleeding the last rays of sunlight across the dimming sky, the colors fading from orange to red to purple, blue and black. From the balcony, John and Rodney watched the sunset, their forearms resting against the railing, their hands, the backs of their fingers, brushing against one another lazily.
"I knew I missed these," Rodney said, watching the last tendrils of light sink beneath the horizon.
Casting a quick glance around, John leaned in and whispered, "We'll watch the next one alone. Just the two of us."
Rodney's breath caught for a moment and he ducked his head, John could see him smile a moment before he nodded.
"I don't know about you all, but after a month like this, I think everyone could use some downtime. Why don't we all take the night off," Elizabeth suggested.
For once, John and Rodney didn't need to be told twice.
Stripped down to their boxers, they crawled into the bed they had vacated just over an hour before, arranging their limbs in a position that was becoming familiar, as natural as breathing--curled on their sides, knees stacked, Rodney's nose pressed against the knob at the back of John's neck
"So if every decade there's a month of daylight, wouldn't it make sense that there's a month of night as well?" Rodney mused, tracing the two circular scars on John's shoulder blade.
"That would make sense," John replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"If thirty days of sun makes people horny, I wonder what thirty days of night makes them."
John turned and faced Rodney in the darkness. "Vampires."
"You've been holding out on me," Rodney said, the corners of his mouth curving upward into a smile. He fingers slid down John's side, raising goose bumps over the bare skin.
"Not anymore." John's smile flashed in the moonlight.
"When the sun comes back up, I will so be looking for your comic book stash," Rodney vowed, kissing the side of John's neck. "After breakfast."
"So does that mean you'll start running with me and Ronon?" John raised his chin, offering more skin for kissing.
"Don't push your luck."
"I don't know, McKay. I've been feeling pretty lucky lately."
Rodney pressed his forehead against John's shoulder and smiled.
"Me too."
**
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